


Rewind

by giselleslash



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-30
Updated: 2012-04-30
Packaged: 2017-11-04 14:30:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/394894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giselleslash/pseuds/giselleslash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Colin visits Bradley and Eoin and gets more of surprise than he was expecting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rewind

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the RPF mini!bang at merlinbb_rpf on livejournal.

Colin let himself into Eoin and Bradley’s flat with the key Bradley had shoved at him on the last day of filming with an order to, ‘come visit us lesser beings, Col, lest we think you’ve abandoned us.’

Bradley was forever nattering on about how he never saw Colin anymore between the end of filming one series and the start of filming the next. He moaned about Colin disappearing off the face of the planet. Colin argued he only disappeared off of Bradley’s portion of the planet which led Bradley to grump that that was the only portion that mattered. Colin had always thought it rather stupidly cute how Bradley still operated under the assumption that the world revolved around him. Most children outgrew that little personality quirk but Bradley had yet to do so. It was something that should be troubling at Bradley’s advanced age but he’d always laugh about it in the end whenever Colin would point out that he was rather unattractive in his arrested state of development and that somehow made it, well, not attractive, but cute. Bradley-ish.

Colin tried to be as quiet as possible as he pushed his way into the flat. It was still arse o’clock in the morning and while Bradley might possibly be up there was no way that Eoin would. Eoin thought two in the afternoon an early wake-up call. Colin had told the lads he’d be in early evening and would ring them when he arrived but a change of travel plans had him coming in far earlier than he had anticipated. He figured he’d just let himself in and fall face first onto the guest bed and sleep until a more civil hour. Like noon.

He made his way down the hall toward the guest bed, he was still mightily impressed Bradley and Eoin even had one, it sounded far too grown-up and respectable for either one of those two lazy sods to possess. He walked by Bradley’s room on the way and noticed the door was opened, which was odd seeing as how Bradley shut the door against what he called, ‘Eoin’s unholy snores and sex dream moans.’ Colin peeked inside as he passed and saw that the bed was empty and still somewhat made up. Bradley’s idea of a made bed was the sheets and duvet flipped haphazardly back into place, and that’s exactly what it looked like. Colin paused in the doorway and wondered where the hell Bradley was off to so early in the morning.

Colin briefly entertained the thought that Bradley and Eoin might have gone out the night before and never made it home, but he quickly stifled it because he hated how the thought of Bradley in some random person’s bed made him sick to his stomach. It was stupid and irrational and Colin hated that after four years it still bothered him that Bradley had never been bothered to look in his direction. It wasn’t like he’d ever given Bradley any sort of indication that his attentions would be welcomed. More than welcomed, actually, they’d have been welcomed with a parade and fireworks and a fucking orchestra. But Colin figured that was all past now, it was too late in the whole scheme of things to suddenly go, well, hey, Bradley, I’ve been a bit arse over tit for you for the last four years - fancy a go?

He smiled to himself at the thought and stepped out of Bradley’s doorway to head to the end of the hall and that gorgeous bed just waiting for him. The few steps he had to take didn’t exactly go smoothly, however, because as he made his way past Eoin’s door he was stopped dead and damn near breathless by what he saw inside.

He stood stranded in the hallway clutching his bag and trying to remember how to fucking breathe as he took in the two sets of bare feet sticking out of the end of the sheets on Eoin’s bed. The pair on the left were attached to a face-down, dead asleep Bradley and the pair on the right were attached to an equally dead to the world Eoin who was sprawled on his back with his arm flung out across Bradley’s bare back. Eoin was nearly in the middle of the bed and doing his best impression of a starfish so that Bradley was almost falling off his side of the bed, his left arm dangling off the side and his fingertips brushing the floor. For some reason Colin couldn’t stop looking at those fingers. He thought he ought to pick Bradley’s arm up and push it back into bed alongside him, surely his fingers would be numb, asleep, and he’d be an absolute grouch about it once he woke up.

Just then Eoin let out a bit of a snort and shifted a little on the bed. It was enough to knock Colin out of his trance and propel him the last few steps to the guest bed. As he turned to move his feet his knees gave out a bit under him and he had to reach out for the wall as he stumbled. His bag smacked against the it and he cringed, hoping like hell it didn’t wake up Bradley or Eoin. The last thing he wanted was to be caught staring at the two of them naked in bed whilst in the midst of what could only be a panic-attack.

Colin pushed his way into the bedroom and closed the door behind him as he dropped to his knees and tried to get a hold of himself. He drew in a few gasping swallows of air as he realized he hadn’t taken a breath the entire time he’d stood panicked in the hallway.

_Fuck._

His breath was raspy and no matter how much air he sucked in he couldn’t seem to regulate his breathing, it just didn’t seem like there was enough air in the whole fucking world much less the room.

He looked down at his hands to find them shaking and he quickly shoved them between his knees. It was all so stupid. So ridiculous. Why was he reacting like a madman? It shouldn’t have come as a shock to him, what with the way Bradley and Eoin always were with each other. They were always taking a piss at one another, always smacking at each other and tumbling about, hands everywhere. Colin remembered how Bradley was when they first started filming and he had a massive, embarrassing crush on Angel. He’d followed her everywhere and couldn’t stop nagging at her every chance he got. He was a pigtail-puller, that’s all there was to it. If he liked a person he did his damnedest to annoy the hell out of them, it was just his nature. Colin had thought it sweet when directed at Angel because it was so obvious he wasn’t going to get anywhere with her, but with Eoin? The biggest self-admitted slag in the world?

Colin pulled his right hand out from between his knees and pressed it to the center of his chest. Shit, it hurt. Everything fucking hurt.

And it shouldn’t. That was the worst part of it all. Colin wasn’t involved with Bradley, not in that way, and it shouldn’t matter what he did or who he did it with. But it did. It mattered a lot. And Colin was sort of lost just then. If he could have rewound the last few minutes of his life he would have. He would’ve rewound that film and walked through Bradley and Eoin’s door with no thought other than to crash on the couch and sleep through it all none the wiser. But time couldn’t be rewound and now all that he could see was the intimacy that wasn’t his, the broad stretch of bare back, those trailing fingertips, and it all just _hurt_.

Colin took a few more breaths and forced himself up from the floor and to the bed where he sat down on the edge and stared at the wall in front of him and tried not to think what was on the other side of it. When it became clear to him he was suffering momentary insanity staring at the wall and trying _not_ to think of Bradley and Eoin, he toed off his shoes and laid down on his back to stare at the ceiling instead. God knew what was on the other side of that but at least it wasn’t something that he’d just realized sort of broke his heart.

~*~

Colin must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew he was being poked awake by a very annoyingly persistent finger. He cracked an eye open only to find his view horrifically overtaken by Eoin’s nose.

“Colin. Mate. You’re early.”

Colin cracked open his other eye and the rest of Eoin came into view. “Uh. Yep?”

“Don’t sound so sure of that.” Eoin grinned at him and Colin wondered why his face was so close. He must have spoken out loud because Eoin said, “I enjoy being close to you, Colin.”

Colin groaned and pushed Eoin’s laughing face away from his own. “Ge’off.”

“Brad!” Eoin shouted. “Bradley! Bradley James! There’s a Morgan in our guest bed and he’s a cranky little pecker.”

Colin heard bare feet pounding down the hallway and suddenly Bradley and his bed-head was standing in the doorway, his skin flushed, and a strange, uncomfortable look on his face. Thankfully he was clothed. At some point he’d apparently seen it fit to put on an old t-shirt and striped pyjama bottoms. Colin thought he ought to let him know that one usually put on pyjamas prior to bed, not post bed.

“Col?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” Colin said as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

“You’re here,” Bradley said inanely. “You’re not supposed to be here yet.”

“Uh. Surprise?” Colin shrugged. There was a strange awkwardness hovering in the room and Colin felt himself blush. “I used the key you gave me.”

“We’re making brekkie,” Eoin said, seemingly oblivious to the weirdness in the room. “Last night we drank all the beer and now we’re going to eat all the bacon.”

“Yeah, we have lofty goals,” Bradley said with a little quirk of a smile. Colin was relieved at the sight of it because it was so very Bradley-ish and felt wonderfully familiar, like something he could grab hold of to make him feel less stranded.

“I can see that. Well done, the both of you.”

“Come. Eat.” Eoin said as he slapped Colin’s knee. “We’ll make you something boring and Colin appropriate.”

“Hey,” Colin protested as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “I take offense at that.”

Eoin just laughed and walked past Bradley out the door.

Bradley shrugged and said, “He only speaks the truth, Col. You eat vegetables and porridge, you’re a foodie’s worst nightmare.”

“Oh, so suddenly Eoin’s a foodie?” Colin grinned. “I didn’t know emptying the contents of one’s fridge into a pan was the first sign of a sophisticated palette.”

“That was just the once, and I’ll have you know that Macken’s Mystery Meal was actually quite good.” Bradley smiled at him again but it looked forced and Colin felt a heaviness settle back into his stomach.

“I can imagine leftover curry, strawberry jam, and three day old pizza would make a stunning treat for the senses.”

Bradley managed a laugh. “It did. Yeah.”

Colin walked over to where Bradley was leaning slouched against the door frame. Bradley watched his progress silently and Colin didn’t know what it was he was meant to say. Bradley had a guilty look about him and Colin wondered what he was thinking about. Was he wondering if he ought to say something about him and Eoin? Was he embarrassed? Was he going to say anything at all? Maybe they were supposed to ignore it all together. That seemed the logical choice to Colin. He didn’t exactly want to get into what he saw, it was best left alone.

But it all left an awkwardness between them that didn’t sit well with Colin. They’d always been open with each other, embarrassingly so at some points. People would look at them strangely whenever they’d get into one of their moods where Bradley shared minute by minute what he’d done the night before and Colin replied with what he’d done and Katie would ask them at what time did they call one another and giggle on the phone together for three hours?

This? This was totally uncharted territory; the kind of territory where you see your best friend naked and in bed with another friend who is also naked and then there’s lots of confusion over whether or not to mention all the previously mentioned nakedness, and say, hey, are you two fucking now or what? And how did I miss that boat launch?

And why wasn’t it _me_?

Colin tried to laugh with Bradley as he slipped past him and out the door but it came out as awkward and embarrassed as Colin felt. Bradley didn’t say anything only followed him down the hallway to the kitchen where Eoin was already cooking and singing and nattering on about dry toast and a banana for Colin.

“I do eat eggs and beans and all that.” Colin said as he sat down at one of the chairs that were surrounding the kitchen table. “You act like I’m from another planet and you don’t know how to feed me.”

“I don’t. I cook everything in the yummy, delicious, sacrificial juice of the glorious pig that gave its life so that I may partake of its bacon and sausage.”

“You’re poetically gross.” Colin laughed.

“When you put it that way I think I’m going to turn vegetarian too,” Bradley said as he pushed his way past Eoin to the fridge. He pulled out some orange juice and started pouring everyone a glass.

“So delicate and precious.” Eoin gave Bradley a look and when Bradley pouted at him he winked. Bradley flushed red as he shot Colin a look and cleared his throat, Colin just looked away. “I’ll fry you up some eggs in a separate pan,” Eoin promised him as turned back to the stove.

Colin did his best not to look at Bradley so he wouldn’t notice what an effort Bradley was putting into not looking at _him_ and tried to concentrate instead on what Eoin was saying about their adventures from the previous night. It wasn’t exactly working since he only heard about every fifth word Eoin was saying and was instead playing through his mind all the things he’d like to blurt out but was too scared to. Every once in awhile Bradley would say, ‘that’s not how it went, mate,’ and Eoin would laugh and say otherwise. As far as Colin could make out it was something about Tom, a game of darts, and several crank calls to Rupert about a ferret.

And that was only the first pub, god only knows what Eoin was waiting to tell Colin about the second, third, and fourth pubs.

Whenever Colin would accidentally catch Bradley’s eye he’d shrug and say something about them being really, really drunk. Colin didn’t know if he was trying to make excuses for Eoin’s stories or for what he likely knew Colin saw that morning. But drunk or otherwise it still happened.

Before he knew it a plate of eggs, beans, and toast was slipped onto the table in front of him with a ruffle to his hair and a kiss to the top of his head from Eoin.

It all threw Colin into an even more confused state because that was typical Eoin behavior, he was acting perfectly normal as if nothing had happened. Or at least nothing of note. Did Eoin think that Colin already knew the two of them were fucking? Is that why he wasn’t making a big deal of it? This was all just everyday and nothing to comment on? It all scrambled Colin’s brain because it was nothing like everyday. Everything was thrown off balance and he couldn’t understand how Eoin could act so fucking _normal_.

They ate and Eoin talked and somehow Colin managed to make it through the meal. Before he knew what was happening Bradley had a duffle and a football in his hands and was on his way out the door with a mumbled something or other about a football game in the park. Colin watched him go without saying a word.

After they cleared the table and left the dishes in the sink Eoin pushed Colin onto the couch and flopped down beside him as he turned on the television.

“We can watch telly, a DVD maybe?” Eoin said as he rapidly flipped through stations. “Bradley shouldn’t be long, the lads he’s meeting up with are total shite. Their games never last very long cos there’s usually shouting and fighting and Bradley gets annoyed and comes home.”

Colin nodded and made a humming sound, but didn’t say anything so they sat in silence for a while and watched some sort of animal documentary that Eoin had stopped on. Colin pulled his knees up and pretended to be engrossed in the animals of the Serengeti. He could feel Eoin stare at him every once in awhile but he didn’t say anything for the longest time so it surprised Colin a little when he finally did speak.

“Col?”

Colin blinked and shook himself out of his trance. “Hm?”

“You a’right?”

Colin glanced over at Eoin to find him staring at him with a questioning look on his face. “Yeah. Fine. I’m fine.”

“You’ve been really fucking quiet.”

“It’s nothing.” Colin shrugged. “Just tired, I guess.”

Eoin was quiet for a couple of minutes before he asked, “Bradley didn’t tell you, did he?”

Colin didn’t know if he should feign ignorance or just dive into a conversation he really didn’t want to have.

“He said he did,” Eoin said when Colin didn’t answer him. “You two are best mates, I just figured -.”

“No,” Colin interrupted him, “he didn’t tell me.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.”

Eoin looked at him with such a pitying, sad sort of look on his face that Colin could hardly stand it.

“It’s not a big deal,” Colin lied. “I mean, it’s great. You two are together.”

“We’re not together, Col.”

“Well, whatever you are, it’s great. I think it’s great.”

“You’re such a shit liar,” Eoin said. He sort of grinned but it was an odd mixture of sad and fond.

Colin pulled his legs more tightly to his chest. “I’m not a shit liar.” Why was he even arguing the point?

“I wasn’t sure at first,” Eoin continued as if Colin hadn’t said a word, “I mean I thought you might but Bradley was so sure you didn’t that I just kind of let things happen between us.”

“God, Eoin, what are you even talking about?”

“You. Having feelings for Bradley.”

“I don’t,” Colin blurted out far too quickly and loudly to be believed. The horrid flush of heat rising up from his neck and across his cheeks probably didn’t help either.

Eoin had the gall to laugh and Colin frowned at him.

“You two are so pathetic,” he said as he ran his hand through his hair. “I’ve got Bradley crying into his beer all, ‘Wah, wah, Colin doesn’t love me. I’m so heartbroken and alone.’ And then there’s you who’s barely strung ten words together since you got here and spent the entirety of breakfast staring forlornly at Bradley as if he’d kicked your puppy.”

“I did not.” Colin was rather arsed off at that point. “What was I supposed to do? Just blurt it all out? You were acting all normal, being a total dick, and Bradley was basically mute.” Eoin laughed when Colin called him a dick so he added, “Shut up.”

“You’re focusing on the word parts, Col. Did you not catch the whole bit about Bradley whinging to me about you?”

“Bradley whinges about me all the time.”

“Yeah, about how you fall asleep in the middle of films or that you bitch that his feet smell and for some reason Bradley thinks his feet smell like fucking daisies or something. I don’t even know what. Personally, I think he has a foot fetish but with his own feet which is a whole other level of fetish I’m not willing to think about, but,” Eoin paused for breath and looked at Colin, “the whinging I’m talking about involves the fact that he’s embarrassingly in love with you but is too stupid and scared to do anything about it so he does nothing and now we’re in this enviable situation.”

“Which is?” Colin asked as he raised an eyebrow.

“Bradley and me being fuck buddies while the two of you moon over each other and pretend it’s not happening. I see a lot of therapy in our futures. Unless, of course, you both pull your thumbs out of your arseholes and talk.”

“What about you and him?”

“There is no me and him. We were convenient and a good laugh, nothing more. We weren’t meant to be more cos I’m too classy a bird to be in an actual relationship with a twat who’s in love with another twat.”

Colin leaned his cheek on his knee and feigned a dreamy expression. “You say the nicest things, Eoin.”

“Fuck off,” Eoin laughed as he gave Colin a shove. “Just talk to one another, for the love of Jesus and all the saints.”

Colin sighed. “There’s really nothing between you two?”

“Oh fuck no. Honestly, Col, this was just a bit of fun. Bradley’s so arse over tit for you I’d vomit my guts out if it wasn’t so pathetic.”

“It’s just that he’s never said -.” Colin’s voice trailed off.

“Of course he’s never said. He’s an idiot. Fucking hell, you two. He’s convinced himself you didn’t feel the same and he’s being a stubborn cock about it.”

“It’s such a big deal though, I don’t want to mess it up.”

“Cos this is so much better, the way things are now?” Eoin rolled his eyes. “You love him, don’t you?”

Colin nodded. Yeah, he did. Pretty much from day one and oh, Christ was it scary as hell to admit, to even just nod and confirm Eoin’s question, but Colin was sort of fucking miserable without Bradley so it was about time he just sucked it up and went for it. If Eoin was right about Bradley he could be kissing that stupid mouth by the end of the day and just the thought of it made him grin stupidly to himself.

“Jesus,” Eoin laughed, “you’ve got it bad, boy-o, grinning to yourself like you’re barking mad.”

Colin didn’t say anything but he punched Eoin in the arm for good measure.

“Ow. Fucker.” Eoin grinned at him as he rubbed his arm and got up from the couch. “I’m gonna make myself scarce, I don’t want to be around for the rom-com moment I’m sure is going to follow all of these insightful revelations I’ve dumped on you.”

“Oh, yeah, great,” Colin said. “Leave me to panic on my own, some friend you are.”

“Whatever. You’ll be glad I’m not here once you start loudly fornicating for the night.”

“Eoin!” Colin laughed. “Jesus.”

“And don’t think I won’t call Bradley a slut, jumping from bed to bed.”

“We’ll probably just talk,” Colin protested.

“After four years of pining and secretly wanking over one another? Yeah, okay, Col. Good luck with that,” Eoin said. “I might as well pack a bag, you two won’t come up for air for days. I’ll be fucking homeless. I’m gonna make Rupe take me in and bake me muffins to ease my pain and muffle my weeping. He bakes while wearing cardigans, you know. It’s brilliant.”

“Oh god,” Colin moaned, “I’ve changed my mind. Leave. Leave now, please.”

“And he mutters over the recipes too,” Eoin continued as if Colin never even spoke. “He looks like a total nutter. I always say everything tastes off or needs more salt just to fuck with his mind.”

“I’ll help you pack,” Colin said as he got off the couch and pushed passed Eoin as he waxed poetic about baking with Rupert.

“I’d marry the bastard but I fear our hair would get in the way of our love. There’s just too much of a good thing there. We’d come to resent one another’s haircare products,” Eoin went on.

“Yes, yes,” Colin said as he started opening drawers and pulling out t-shirts. “Think of the muffins. You wouldn’t want to put them through a messy divorce.”

“Our love will forever remain unrequited.”

“Let the muffins speak for you.”

Eoin nodded sagely. “Yes, I think we shall have to, it just wasn’t meant to be.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Colin said as he rolled his eyes. “Finish packing and get out so I can panic in peace.”

“Can you record everything though?” Eoin asked as he watched Colin pack for him. “You know, so I can watch it all later and cry and eat chocolate.”

“Shut up,” Colin said and shoved Eoin’s bag into his arms. “And go away.”

“Seriously, I’m in the mood for a good romance. There’s been crap at the theaters lately.”

“Go away,” Colin repeated as he pushed Eoin toward the front door. “Before Bradley comes home.”

“Oh, so now you want some alone time?”

Colin had to laugh because Eoin was trying to make it as difficult as possible for him to push him out the door.

“There are condoms and lube everywhere,” Eoin said as he pointed back into the flat once Colin had gotten him to the door. “Make good use of them.”

Colin closed the door on Eoin’s shouting and hoped to hell his and Bradley’s neighbors were tolerant, or at least knew Eoin was slightly mental.

“Go away!” Colin shouted laughingly one more time as Eoin continued to talk to him through the door.

Eoin was quiet for a second or two before he knocked gently on the door and said just loudly enough for Colin to hear, “He loves you, don’t worry.”

Colin smiled. “Thanks, Eoin.”

“Good luck.”

“Say hi to Rupert for me.”

“And his muffins.”

“Yes, of course.” Colin rolled his eyes.

“They’re very good muffins, you know,” was the last thing Colin heard Eoin say before the sound of his feet walking down the hall toward the lift.

Colin looked around him and was unexpectedly startled by the quietness of the flat. It picked at his nerves as he leaned his back against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor and waited for Bradley to get back. He knew he’d be useless if he tried to do anything other than wait.

And close his eyes and think about what it would be like to wake up with Bradley.

~*~

“Oh god. Crap. Uh. Colin.” Bradley managed to sputter out less than gracefully when he walked back into the flat and was surprised to find Colin sitting there waiting for him. The stammering made Colin feel better.

“Hey,” he said as he looked up at Bradley who stood hovering over him, bag still in hand, and a dumb look on his face.

“Hey.”

“Come. Sit.” Colin patted the floor next to him.

Bradley tossed his bag aside and sat down next to Colin. He smelled like grass and sweat and cool morning air and Colin leaned in to take a deep breath of him. Bradley didn’t seem to notice, he was looking down at Colin’s feet.

“Are those my socks?” he asked as his fingers started tugging at the frayed cuff of Colin’s jeans.

Colin turned his foot out and looked down. “Probably. Yeah.”

Bradley smiled to himself at the thought and it made Colin grin himself. Colin had all kinds of Bradley’s things; clothes, books, DVDs, their things seemed to migrate between their rooms whenever they were filming until they got all mixed up and both of them just took whatever was left in their rooms home with them.

“They look better on me,” Bradley said, feigning seriousness.

“I’m sure they do, you have very lovely feet.”

“I’ve always said so but no one ever believes me.”

“Poor you,” Colin said sadly. “So oppressed. They should write a ballad about you.”

Bradley cracked out a burst of laughter and bumped Colin’s shoulder with his own. Colin let himself settle against Bradley and when he didn’t move away Colin risked reaching out and taking Bradley’s hand in his. He felt Bradley stiffen beside him but he held firmly to his hand until he relaxed into the touch.

“Colin, about this morning, I -.”

“No, don’t,” Colin interrupted Bradley. “Eoin told me.”

Bradley sighed. “I should have told you.”

“Yes.”

Bradley looked over at Colin and said, “I’m sorry, Col. I guess I just didn’t know how to say it. It was all so stupid.”

Colin brushed his thumb over Bradley’s hand, his skin was so warm. Bradley’s fingers moved beneath his until they were twined together.

“I’d be embarrassed to have slept with Eoin too,” Colin said, his voice dry.

Bradley laughed again. “God. I know, right? I can barely look myself in the eye.”

“You should also be ashamed to have come between him and Rupert, and Rupert’s muffins.”

“I’m pretty sure Rupert is in an exclusive relationship with his muffins that Eoin will never be a part of. Tragic, really. They should write ballads for _him_.”

“They have. Don’t tell me you haven’t sung, _The Ballad of Blueberry, Raspberry, and Banana Nut Despair_ while drunk and maudlin.”

“Ah, yes, my favorite.” Bradley smiled.

Neither one of them said anything for a few minutes, they just sat in companionable silence, like they always did. Colin always found he could talk Bradley’s ear off but he could also be quiet with him and feel completely at home either way. Why it took him so long to realize being with Bradley was the only thing that made sense and was worth taking a risk for totally escaped him, but Bradley was there now and he wasn’t going let another opportunity go by.

“Eoin said the two of you weren’t serious,” Colin broke the silence.

“We’re not,” Bradley was quick to confirm. “Nothing like. More like mildly drunk and in the same room.”

“Hm. Romantic.”

“Yeah, I know, it sounds awful but things with Eoin were simple. Neither one of us ever expected more out of the other than we got.”

“He said it was because there was someone else.”

“Yeah, Rupert’s muffins. I was always second to the muffins.”

Colin smiled to himself. “You’re an idiot,” he said fondly.

“I won’t argue with you there.”

Colin turned so his body was angled more toward Bradley’s as he pulled his hand into his lap.

“Probably one of the reasons why I love you,” Colin said quietly, his gaze focused on Bradley. “I’ve always had a fondness for the very dim.”

Bradley looked back at him, his gaze didn’t waver, and Colin saw the exact moment when what he’d said sunk in, the moment a wave of relief swept over him. The change was something so perfect Colin had to close his eyes for a split second to let the image burn into his memory. The smile that came over Bradley’s face was one Colin wanted to store away and pretty much keep forever.

“I’ve always been very very _very_ dim,” Bradley said.

“A shining quality, to be sure,” Colin teased with an answering smile spreading across his own face.

Bradley let out a startled, happy sort of laugh right before he pressed his hand to the side of Colin’s face and leaned in to kiss him. The kiss was sort of dreadful because Colin was still smiling and Bradley still laughing that gorgeous laugh of his, all mouth and teeth, but the awfulness of it only made Bradley laugh louder.

“You shouldn’t laugh at that,” Colin said as he smacked Bradley in the arm. “That was our first kiss, and I’m pretty sure I just made out with your front teeth.”

“For like six seconds, that’s hardly making out.”

“With your _teeth_ ,” Colin repeated.

“A’right,” Bradley said as he made a slicing motion between their faces with his hand. “Rewind.”

“You can’t rewind,” Colin argued.

“Watch me,” Bradley said. “Okay. I’m you. _’Oh, Bradley, I adore you. Your musky scent and natural machismo give me a boner. I love you, I love you, I love you.'_ "

“What are you even -.” Colin laughed. “Your musky scent. Jesus. Take a shower.”

“Now you be me,” Bradley ordered.

“Oh, okay, yeah, I’ve got this,” Colin said. “ _’Oh, Colin, I worship you. Your witty humor and fine Irish moves make me want to ravish you in a manly, musky fashion.’_ ”

“You’re being rather loose with your definition of, ‘fine Irish moves,’ I see. Unless of course in Ireland people are wooed by jokes about unicorn horns and the inability to say the word penis without laughing, then yes, very fine Irish moves, Col.”

“This isn’t a very good rewind, Bradley.”

“Okay, fine,” Bradley said as he sliced his hand between them again. “Rewind, part deux.”

“Part deux,” Colin quietly laughed under his breath but stopped when Bradley took his face in both of his hands.

“I love you, Col. I have for a really long time.”

Bradley’s lips were just brushing across Colin’s and before they pressed closer Colin said, “Me too.”

That time it was a bloody fantastic rewind.

~*~

“Nearly naked, walking funny, must have gone well.”

Colin jumped and dropped the water bottle he was holding at the unexpected sound of Eoin’s voice.

“Jesus Christ, Eoin, a little warning next time?”

“Why would I do that when I could scare the fuck out of you and see you dance around like you’re having some sort of fit?”

“I didn’t dance around,” Colin insisted.

“You did. A little bit,” Rupert said. When Colin looked over and noticed him sitting next to Eoin at the kitchen table he waved. “Hey, Colin.”

“Hey Rupe,” Colin said as he bent to pick up the bottle from the floor. “Eoin drag you over here to make fun of me or are you here on your own being a dick?”

“A little bit of both, actually.”

“We have a torte,” Eoin said happily as he held up a plate.

“What about the muffins?” Colin asked.

“Rupert broke up with the muffins. It’s been quite sad, however, his dirty fling with tortes is amazing.”

“Bradley’ll be pleased. He loves tortes,” Colin said.

“Is that an euphemism?” Eoin asked.

“Ugh. Jesus. No.”

“Inquiring minds, Col.”

“I’m not giving you details.”

“Whatever.” Eoin shrugged. “I can Sherlock them myself.”

“This will be embarrassing,” Rupert said and waved Colin over. “Sit and enjoy the spectacle.”

Colin laughed. “No way, I’m leaving.”

“Come on, Col,” Eoin said. “You’ll be amazed by my Sherlocking.”

“Nice hickies, by the way,” Rupert said. “What are you two, fifteen?”

“Bradley’s a bit of a biter,” Eoin said.

“La la la, can’t hear you,” Colin said as he hurried off down the hall to the safety of Bradley’s bedroom.

“Sherlock number one,” Eoin shouted after him, “you’re wearing Bradley’s underwear. Sherlock number two, we haven’t heard from either of you in three days. Sherlock number three, you’re walking a bit bow-legged there, Col. Sherlock number four -.”

“Ha,” Colin shouted back at Eoin and cut him off before he could say more, “that’s how I walk, if you want bow-legged you should check out Bradley.”

He laughed as he slipped through the bedroom door to the sounds of Rupert demanding his fifty quid from Eoin.

Colin figured Rupert had best enjoy his fifty quid because that was all they were getting from him. Ever. He stood at the foot of the bed and watched Bradley sleep; his face smashed into Colin’s pillow, that hair of his sticking up everywhere, and his skin dotted with light, barely there bruises and the reddish stubble burns Colin had left on him.

All of those things were his, they belonged to him, and now that he had them, had Bradley, they were going to stay his. All secret and stored away and his alone.

He crawled back into bed beside Bradley and pressed himself against Bradley’s side, kissed the bridge of his nose and smiled to himself when all he could think was, _’mine.’_

“Were you talking to yourself again, Cols?” Bradley’s voice was groggy and muffled, halfway lost in the pillow.

“No,” Colin said as he kissed the corner of Bradley’s mouth and lid of his still closed eye. “Eoin and Rupert are here.”

Bradley groaned. “There’d best be muffins.”

“Not a one,” Colin said and Bradley started to groan again so Colin added, “but there’s a torte.”

“Hm, guess that’s a’right then.”

Colin curled himself around Bradley. “Shall I go confiscate a piece for you?”

Bradley shook his head as he hooked an arm around Colin and tried to drag him closer, pressed his face into the arch of Colin’s neck. “No. Stay. Better than a torte.”

Colin laughed quietly at Bradley’s half awake mumblings.

“Better than a torte?” Colin asked, fondness seeping out of every letter of his words. “You must love me.”

Bradley hummed in agreement. “You’re a Colin torte.”

Colin shook with quiet laughter and knew that, coming from Bradley, that was high praise indeed.

 

~End


End file.
